. At this point, I was afraid to hand over the HOD catalog because I just knew he would tear it to pieces (figuratively). I really didn't want him to see the cost of the upper guides because he is pretty frugal...well, really frugal
. I reluctantly handed him the catalog as we sat on the park bench, hoping the kids' laughter as they played would put a soft spot in his heart as he looked at the HOD catalog 
. After a few short minutes, he said, "This is easy. Pick this one." Huh?!
So, just like that? He told me that HOD will give our children a competitive advantage in college and beyond. He said it looks like HOD is everything he would expect from a solid curriculum and the other looked like an underfunded private school curriculum in comparison. My husband loved the fact that children are placed according to their skill level, which, as he stated, is the single best way to place a child. He did a mental calculation and said he didn't mind paying more for HOD! 
He said HOD was truly an investment and worth every penny. (This came from a man that calculates the price per egg in a carton. ) He told me there really was no comparison and he giggled when I told him how long I'd been going back and forth on a program for our rising 1st grader. To him, it was very simple. "It is fair trade. You get what you pay for, and I want the very best for our children's education," is his philosophy.Therefore, problem solved
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